Best Hand Dryers

Review & Comparison, Last Update February 14, 2019

A hand dryer is a reliable and effective solution for home and public bathrooms to stop wasting money on disposable paper towels. Buy it and forget about wiping your hands on your pants ever again....Read more...Read less

The option to adjust the force of the airflow will let you save energy consumption in situations when you don't need using it at the full power.

CONS

When compared to other models, this one works a bit noisier.

OUR VERDICT

This hand dryer is probably one of the best ones you could get to mount in a public place. Requiring neither extra maintainance nor running costs, it will serve in a long while preserving its original appearance.

The model heats the airflow up to 99°F, an optimal temperature that will neither overdry nor hurt your skin. Your hands will get dry in 7-10 seconds only.

CONS

The body is prone to stains.

OUR VERDICT

Compact yet powerful, the Awoco hand dryer is a commercial-grade model suitable both for public places and for home use as well. The model has a UL certificate and fully meets the strict requirements of the US construction industry.

A highly-efficient and super-fine filter can capture the tiniest dust particles and microorganisms up to 0.3 microns in size, making hand drying with this model much more hygienic.

CONS

Somewhat complicated installation.

OUR VERDICT

Hygienic and nice-looking, this hand dryer from Penson is a good value for money. It stands out for high drying efficiency, low power consumption, and quiet operation, ensured by a special noise canceling system.

Distinguished by a super high power of 1800 watts, this powerful blower will quickly separate water drops from your skin, leaving your hands completely dry in mere seconds.

CONS

The unit body might heat up under extensive use.

OUR VERDICT

If you're looking for a reliable hand dryer that will operate flawlessly and serve you for years to come, the TC Bunny is definitely worth a try. Made of steel and fitted with a powerful engine, the unit is damage-resistant and will deliver consistently high drying performance.

XLERATOR XL-BWX-277V

Meeting All Quality Standards

You won’t find an authoritative public place that has no hair dryer to offer its customers a convenient way of drying hands. If you’re just about to get one or you’re on the hunt for a new one, you can consider the XLERATOR XL-BWX, a hand dryer distinguished by its simple design and very decent tech characteristics. The power of the dryer totals 1500 Watts, which makes sense, seeing the size of the model, yet, it allows it to dry your hands within around 15 seconds, that would be three times faster than if you would’ve used a fan. The compact design of the XLERATOR XL-BWX provides for its neat installation on any vertical surface, so you can mount it literally next to the tap if that’s where you need it. With all mounting hardware being included in the package, you only need to put it on a wall. In general, the XLERATOR XL-BWX pleased us in many ways. It’s not expensive, it’s powerful enough to dry hands quickly, it’s made of quality material that resists well rust, corrosion and damage, it’s very simple to maintain. The only catch is that installing it requires an assistance of either electricians or someone else proficient in the flyback operation. Made in the USA, the XLERATOR XL-BWX meets all standards and guarantees long-years seamless operation.

Control the Airflow

Hand dryers like many other fan-driven appliances are rather noisy in operation. The XLERATOR XL-BWX isn’t an exception, even though it’s not that loud to get on your nerves. The operation noise level here makes 90 dB, which is just a fracture higher to the other models reviewed. If needed, though, you could lower it by setting the force of the airflow at the minimum markings. Thanks to the built-in protector, after 35 seconds of work, the XLERATOR XL-BWX automatically shuts off. This feature protects the unit from overheating and provides for its longer service life as a result.

A Piece of Advice

Whether you run an office or a small cafe, using a space heater as an additional source of heat early in the spring, in winter or late autumn can be a good idea. Consider getting one for yourself from our selection of the latest models.

Additional Info

Awoco AK2901

Dry Hands Faster and Safer

Though hand dryers are electric appliances, they are pretty safe. Since modern models provide contact-free unit activation, there is no risk of electric shock due to touching a powered unit with wet hands. One problem is because manufacturers tend to produce models that would ensure faster drying most hand dryers just get too hot (150°F) and may even hurt the skin. Yet, this isn't the case with the Awoco hand dryer.

The Awoco AK2901 hand dryer heats the air up to 104°F maximum at an average operating temperature which doesn't exceed 99°F. This temperature is considered to be normal and absolutely safe for sensitive and vulnerable skin. Lower doesn't mean longer though. The model is fitted with a powerful 1450-watt motor that forces the air at 70 m/s speed. As a result, the drying time takes less than 10 seconds, quicker than in many other commercial models.

While the Awoco AK2901 hand dryer is certainly a powerful model, the manufacturer made sure to make it energy-efficient and cost-effective as well. Thus, the unit senses the season and automatically adjusts the airflow temperature, reducing energy wastes. Plus, it automatically switches off in case it's being left unattended for longer than 45 seconds. All this makes it a practical thing for any public place like schools, hospitals, children’s gyms, youth sports clubs, restaurants. And it would definitely find itself a place in any regular household.

For All Sorts of Applications

While many hand dryers are designed to be used either at home or in public places, the Awoco AK2901 is a one-size-fits-all option, if we may say so. Its compact dimensions will match both a confined bathroom and a larger public restroom. The stainless steel body of the hand dryer looks stylish and will fit any interior. Also, it's durable and shock-proof, which means it will withstand an extensive use. One other advantage of it being made of stainless steel is that it is rust-proof, meaning it will preserve its original look for many years to come. When it comes to performance, it is second to none. The Awoco AK2901 is quick, efficient, and ensures safe drying. The only downside to this dryer is its somewhat loud operation (70dB) which could annoy you should you install it in your home bathroom. If placed in public restrooms though, it's likely to be muted by hundreds of people's voices and won't be a distraction. Finally, it's worth noting that the Awoco AK2901 has a UL certification which proves its full compliance with the strictest safety standards and US Building Code requirements and makes it a suitable choice for all types of commercial establishments.

PENSON & CO. Automatic Hand Dryer

Enjoy Hygienic Drying

No doubt, hand sanitation is an important preventive measure for many diseases. It's essential to wash hands and dry them properly. For that, a lot of people still use cotton towels and disposable napkins as they think that hand dryers aren't hygienic. Many believe that hand dryers accumulate dirt, dust, and even molds when they suck up the air and moist from the outside, and then send the dirty air back on their hands. If you have the same concerns on your mind but you do want to try out the benefits of automatic drying, we'd recommend you to turn your eyes to an electric hand dryer from Penson.

Let's start with the highlights of this hand dryer. First off, this model is built with a highly-efficient super-fine filter to capture the tiniest dust particles and microorganisms up to 0.3 microns in size. Hence, you can be sure that your hands will be fanned by hygienically clean air, free from any pathogenic germs and bacteria. Second, this dryer is fully automatic. Which means the moment you turn the device on it remains in a standby mode, ready to blow as you move your hand under the infrared sensor. No buttons or switches need to be clicked. However, the advantages of this hand dryer do not end here. While many powerful premium blowers produce a lot of noise, the Penson dryer is distinguished by mild and quiet operation, with the noise level being around 60 dB. That's due to a combo of a built-in noise canceling system and comparatively low fan power. Though lower than in some other modes, 950 watts of power is more than enough to generate an impressively intensive airflow. The working speed is high at 95 m/s making it one of the more powerful hand dryers out there. No need to say that at such velocity the dryer will blow the water off of your hands in mere seconds. If you find the airflow too hot or too strong, there's a heat switch at the bottom, which will let you turn the heat on/off as you see fit.

With the Penson automatic hand dryer you'll be able to enjoy convenient and highly hygienic hand drying without any risks of bacterial cross-contamination and annoying noise.

Say Goodbye to Paper Towels

Though popularity of hand dryers grows rapidly, you can still come across paper towel machines in some small public areas. Strange though it might seem, many small business owners do not install hand dryers because they consider them less cost-effective than paper towels, and there are also those who simply can't fit them into existing interiors. The twist is: the Penson hand dryer needs no specific installation. It is small in size and can be placed anywhere near a socket. The maintenance of the dryer is even simpler. All you will need to to keep it operating properly is simply clean the filters, which is quick and easy to do. To top it off, this hair dryer doesn't have a rich price tag and will pay you off in pretty soon. Besides, you will be able to join the eco-friendly trend by significantly reducing paper wastes.

Additional Info

TCBunny K2017

A Combo of Reliability and High Performance

What makes a good hand dryer? Designed for extensive use in high-high traffic public areas where a lot of people come and go during the day, a quality hand dryer should combine a durable construction with consistently efficient performance to reliably function for years to come. An automatic dryer from TCBunny is exactly that type of hand dryer.

This model features a heavy duty stainless steel body that looks stylish and withstands wear and tear perfectly. As the other hand dryers we reviewed, this one is fully automatic. It activates in seconds once the infrared sensor registers a hand movement. The gauge is highly sensitive and triggers instantly so you don't need to touch any controls. The FCH Hand Dryer is fitted with the filter, delivering clean and purified air onto your hands.

When it comes to performance, the FCH Hand Dryer remains on top. It comes fitted with an 1800-watt, the highest rate among competitors. A motor this powerful is able to blow the air out at the speed of 90 m/s which allows you to dry both hands in a couple seconds (well, maybe a little bit more). The heating temperature range varies from moderate 95°F to high 150°F so you can choose settings that are most appropriate depending on the season, weather, and so on.

For minimizing energy waste and maximizing the service life of the dryer, the TCBunny dryer features an automatic shut off function and a temperature controller. The former will shut the dryer off in 60 seconds after you take your hands away and the latter will deactivate it if its body temperature exceeds 125°F to prevent overheating and malfunctions.

All these features make the FCH Hand Dryer a worthy purchase. Suitable both for commercial and home use, it is one of those hand dryers with which you just can't go wrong.

Install It Your Way

Commonly hand dryers either offer a hardwired installation or come with a plug to be connected to an electric socket. The benefit of the TCBunny hand dryer is that it covers all needs, offering two installation options. In case you're buying it to install in some public place, it'll be better to go with hardwired installation. Though such installation is supposed to be done by an electrician, which isn't always cheap, it's much safer and more reliable overall, entailing minimum risks that somebody might steal the device or damage the plug. On the other hand, a plug connection is the best option if you buy it for home use. The TCBunny hand dryer's supplied with all necessary hardware so you can quickly mount it on the wall. It's very convenient and won't take you long. The only limitation is that if you decide to hook it that way you'll need to place it on the wall with an existing socket.

FCH Hand Dryer

Default Solution

Although there are a dozen inexpensive hand dryers on the market, this Detroit Bathware hand dryer absolutely nails it with the power per price ratio. The 1200 W motor softly blows the air out at moderate 33 mph. Some might think, it's a bit slow. However, the air velocity is not the key factor here, as the heating element warms it up to the blazing 149° F. As a result, this hand dryer mostly evaporates the water on your hands rather than blows it away. The neutral-white cover is made of heat-proof and shock-resistant ABS-polymer. For reference, famous Lego bricks are made of the same material, therefore it can be considered as a medium duty device.

Despite a low price, Detroit Bathware dryer features quality protection from overheating that simply turns the unit off when it gets too hot until it cools down. The IPX rating common not only to top-end models - this one has waterproof qualities too. The installation is quick and easy. All you need is to mount the included bracket on a wall with a couple of screws and to have a wall plug nearby to power it up.

In addition, Detroit dryer is also much quieter (featuring 50dB noise level) when compared to many other models. In our opinion, all these features make it a great solution for places with a moderate use per day ratio like a hotel or small office bathrooms.

Wash Your Hands Properly

Most of us know that regular washing hands can reduce the risk of getting infected through the direct contact with objects in public places and means of transportation. Interestingly enough, according to several statistic surveys, only 7 out of 10 people wash hands regularly with soap. Well, even if you don't always touch things around you, you still need to wash hands, since a lot of bacteria and harmful germs are spread through the air and can accumulate on your skin and lead to disease.

In order to wash hands properly, you should soap them twice under warm tap water. The first time is needed to wash off the germ from the skin, the second one - to clean opened pores. Only after, you can wash off the soap and rinse hands with cooler water to seal the pores. Never leave hands wet; the bacteria spread more quickly in the damp environment. Wipe hands dry under a hand dryer or a clean towel.

FCH Hand Dryer

What Is a Hand Dryer?

The hand dryer, as you might have guessed, is an electric device that dries your hands and fingers after you washed them in a sink. Restaurants, malls, airports, hospitals – you can find electric hand dryers almost anywhere. However, you will rarely see a cotton towel in public restrooms since they are the perfect bacteria carriers. Paper towels, on one hand, are one-off and more or less sterile, but on the other hand, wet paper sticks to fingers and generates tons of waste which you need to get rid of all the time. Lately, more and more companies install hand dryers as they are power efficient, environment-friendly and can save a lot of money in the long run. After all, hand dryers are capable of dispersing water on your hands with a cold strong airflow or drying them out with a hot streaming air in a matter of seconds.

As some powerful models may generate pretty loud sound, you might want to take a look at special towel warmers that will be a great addition to any home bathroom or beauty and SPA salons and keep towels comfortably dry and warm. Another great addition to any restroom can be a beautiful sink faucet. Finally, you might be interested in our pick of the best toilet bidet seats.

What Features to Compare

Performance

The first step before buying an air hand dryer is to decide where it is going to be installed. If it’s a stadium or restaurant, you might want to take a look at anti-vandal models with the in-wall hardwired installation. If it's your home or office building, you might grab an easy-to-install model with a simple cord and the plug. Choose a more powerful model if you expect a high human flow in the place so there aren't too many lines to it.

In modern hand dryers, the higher the power consumptionis, the more powerful and hotter the airflow will be. Look for fast models with bigger miles per hour (mph) output and Watts (W) values if you expect a big number of visitors. Most optimal numbers are around 200–450 mph and 1400-2000 W. As for the temperature, do not let big numbers scare you off. The air is a great heat conductor, therefore, the temperature will drop significantly by the time it travels on your hands. At around 90-140 °F, your skin will be cleaned faster and without overdrying.

You might also want to check a sound level. Though this isn't an essential parameter, you may still want to be sure of the unit's quiet operation in order not to be annoyed with its rumbling later on when being in the proximity to a hand dryer.

Design and Material

As regards the design, most common hand dryers have a shape of a box with a nozzle or vent for the air output. The unit is mounted on a wall and powered from a power line via cable. Even though there are more models available, they all have the same working principle: blowing the moisture off your hands while drying them. Consider the material of a hand dryer to be sure it will last. As a rule, plastic dryers are cheaper, but in places with a high people stream, you might want to get a model with metal cover which is highly valued for its anti-vandal qualities. Speaking about safety, some devices are designed in accordance with the IP safety standards. Look for IP24 protection class if you plan to install a hand dryer in a room with a very high humidity. As for drier rooms, the IPX1 water-resistant protection is sufficient.

Additional Features

Additional features may include a slot for noise reduction nozzles, HEPA filters that absorb more than 99% of bacteria, or simply some peculiar design solutions to improve drying time. Don't forget that the level of a hand dryer installation would depend on a group of people who're going to use it, adults or kids, in particular.